RESULTS OF THE «CRIMEA GLOBAL. UNDERSTANDING UKRAINE THROUGH THE SOUTH» CONFERENCE
From October 14 to 16, Kyiv hosted an extensive event that brought together representatives from all over the world at the international conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South”.
The event was attended by representatives of the expert, academic, and civil society from India, Indonesia, Qatar, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Kenya, the Philippines, Turkey, Austria, Estonia, Italy, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Sudan, Chile, South Africa, Armenia, Brazil, Libya, Ghana, along with opposition figures to the governments of Iran and Syria residing outside their countries, and others.
In total, the conference brought together over 300 participants who joined both in person and online. Thirty-five prominent speakers from Asia, Africa, and Latin America engaged in panel discussions, sharing their experience and expertise with the audience.
The conference was initiated by the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. This idea was supported and realized by partners from the public sector, including the «International Center for Ukrainian Victory», «Media Initiative for Human Rights», «Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union», «International Partnership for Human Rights», «ZMINA Human Rights Center», «Ukraine 5 AM» Coalition with the support of the Crimean Platform Office. The Mission actively contributed in the event’s organization together with these partners.
The opening ceremony was addressed by First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva, Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh, Head of the ZMINA Human Rights Center Tetyana Pechonchyk, leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev, Nobel Prize laureates: Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Mr Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nobel Peace Prize 2011 Tawakul Karman, and Nobel Peace Prize 2022 Oleksandra Matviychuk.
The conference featured 9 discussion panels where participants discussed several key issues related to the challenges posed by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea. Each panel brought unique perspectives and insights that became the basis for subsequent discussions and dialogues among representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Ukraine. The panel topics covered a wide range of subjects, including global energy and food security, human rights, decolonization, the new international order, international security, justice and condemnation of Russia’s crimes in Ukraine.
In addition, the conference included three side events designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the Crimean peninsula and the challenges faced by Ukrainians because of Russian aggression. In particular, the side events addressed the following topics: the impact of war and violence on women in different countries, bringing criminals to justice and restoring accountability for the most heinous crimes committed in Ukraine and beyond. As part of the conference, the participants also visited the Child Rights Protection Center. The purpose of the event was to familiarize international guests with the situation with violations of children’s rights as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as to highlight personalized stories of children affected by the war.
International guests had an opportunity to attend a cultural event at the Musafir restaurant, which specializes in Crimean Tatar cuisine, which allowed to learn more about the traditions of the indigenous peoples of Crimea.
It is worth noting that throughout the conference the venue was filled with exceptional works by Ukrainian artists Mariia Kulikovska and Yurii Nikitin. These works made a lasting impact on international guests, immersing them even more in the consequences of the war unleashed by Russia, the history of Ukraine, and the kinship between the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian peoples.
On one of the three days of the conference, the participants joined a tour of the historical sites in the center of Kyiv. In particular, the international guests visited Mykhailivska Square, Khreshchatyk, and and the National Preserve «Sophia of Kyiv», a monument of Ukrainian architecture and monumental painting. The participants also met with volunteer Tata Kepler, who has been providing medical assistance to the military since 2014.
The last day of the conference, October 16, concluded with a closing ceremony, during which Maria Tomak, Head of National Office of the Crimea Platform, and Tetyana Pechonchyk, Head of the ZMINA Human Rights Center, delivered their speeches and expressed gratitude to the international speakers who made a long journey to visit to Ukraine and discuss the crucial topics. Maria Tomak and Tetyana Pechonchyk emphasized that this is only the beginning of cooperation between Ukraine and the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America,with a vision of even stronger unity in the future..
This conference served as an outstanding platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences among representatives from diverse countries and cultures. It laid the foundation for cooperation and development of international ties with the countries of the Global South in various fields. All participants from Ukraine and around the world recognized the significance and uniqueness of this event.
We believe that the exchange of ideas and experience that took place during the conference will play a pivotal role in the further development of international relations, strengthening Ukraine’s subjectivity and contributing to addressing global challenges in the context of the confrontation between democratic forces and authoritarian regimes.
See you next year in the free Ukrainian Crimea!